


A Kind of Magic

by eyeforparking



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crushes, I think I could make a good series out of this, I want to write more of this later, It's basically the same except they aren't famous, It's that kind of meet cute, Laundry, M/M, Meet-Cute, They meet at a laundromat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-17 20:16:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17567255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eyeforparking/pseuds/eyeforparking
Summary: Rami is in town visiting an old friend and goes to the laundromat to do his laundry when he has an awkward encounter with a very cute local (who hopefully feels the same way about him).





	A Kind of Magic

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work in the BoRhap fandom! I love Rami and Joe so much so I desperately needed to spit something out with them in it before I went crazy. I really hope to do more BoRhap and Queen stuff in the future! (I really want to write some Hardzello after this). 
> 
> ALSO: I wrote this while listening to A Kind of Magic, so all of the other fics in this series will be named after songs from that album :)
> 
> Constructive criticism and comments are SUPER appreciated, especially since this is my first work with these characters!!!!

Rami had been in town for only a few days, staying in the apartment of one of his old acting school friends, when he realised that he had completely run out of clean clothes already. His friend didn’t have a washing machine, and he was out with his girlfriend, so Rami figured he’d do him a favour and take their clothes down to the laundromat later in the afternoon. 

 

It’d been a while since he’d gone out to do his laundry, he chuckled as he flipped up his hood and grabbed the basket of clothes, leaving the apartment and heading outside. He knew there was a laundromat with cheap fees just a block away, so it would be super convenient for the time he was staying around. 

 

Walking down the street with the basket under his arm, he took in the fresh fall air, the brisk cool of winter on its way and the golden sun close to setting. It was a beautiful day, so his friend had gone to the park with his girlfriend, asking Rami if he was okay with it first, of course. He was very considerate, and even though Rami missed the company of his old companion, he was happy that he even offered to let him stay at his place, and told him to run along. 

 

Rami decided he’d just spend the day at home, maybe catch up on a book or do some bingeing of an old sitcom, but later in the afternoon he remembered his clothing situation and realized it wouldn’t  be a bad idea to do some washing. 

 

When he open the door to the little building, the silver bell hanging there jingled and let the people inside know that he was coming in. He walked over to a bench and placed the basket down, beginning to load the clothes into a machine when a man tapped him on the shoulder.

 

“I was just about to use that machine, I already had a shirt in there if you didn’t notice.” Rami turned to look at the man, who was around the same height as him, with reddish brown hair and a kind face. Rami felt awkward about the whole situation, but he had already put most of the load of laundry in and didn’t really feel like taking it out or letting a stranger fish for the shirt through all his dirty clothes. 

 

“Sorry man, I didn’t see it in there. Do you mind if i just give it back to you when my load i done?”

 

The man sighed, and opened the machine next to Rami’s, beginning to throw in the rest of his laundry.

 

“Yeah, it’s no problem. Just wash it on cold if you can.” the man smiled at Rami, showing his pearly, slightly crooked teeth. God, he had a very cute smile. 

 

“No problem.” Rami pressed a few buttons on the machine, making sure the setting was on cold, and sat down on the bench, reaching into his laundry basket for his book. He opened it up to where his bookmark was and continued reading from where he had left off, glancing every once in a while over to the other man, who was now sitting next to Rami, scrolling through his phone. 

 

“Malcolm Gladwell, huh?” Once again, Rami was launched out of his thoughts by the voice of the man next to him.

 

“Sorry?” he asked with confusion. The man flashed that  _ damn smile  _ once again, and pointed to the book that Rami held in his lap, his finger now keeping his place.

 

“Oh! Yeah, um, The Tipping Point. My mom gave it to me last Christmas, it’s pretty good.”

 

“It is good, I’ve read it quite a few times. I also really like Blink, by Gladwell, too. He has some good thoughts in that brain of his.”

 

“He sure does, doesn’t he?” Rami chuckled, looking down at his novel.

 

“You read a lot?” the man asked him, pointing to Rami’s bookmark. It was just a receipt to a bookstore from his hometown, an embarrassingly large purchase of classic literature and academic research books.

 

“Yeah, I guess so. I’m pretty interested in classics and psychology and those sorts of things, I kind of get carried away when I find myself at Barnes and Nobles if you catch my drift.” He blushed awkwardly, fiddling with the old receipt and trying to hide it like the man hadn’t already seen all the titles. 

 

“They’re good genres to get into, at least you aren’t one of those romance or mystery obsession type people.”

 

“Hey, what’s wrong with mystery?” 

 

“Nothing really, but most of them are just so predictable…” The man chuckled, a deep rich laugh, that was still so light, and just… suited him so perfectly, Rami couldn’t keep his eyes off of him, and he just admired every feature of his face. 

 

His soft, so touchable reddish-brown hair, just a bit more curly than wavy, his alluring brown eyes that looked so endless, his facial hair, slightly stubbly and probably so wonderful, if Rami could feel it against his skin, and— _ Oh God _ , why does he always fall for strangers so quickly?

 

“What’s your name?” Rami blurted out before he could stop himself. Jesus, what was he trying to do? Give this innocent (most likely straight) man a huge gay scare on a Sunday evening? He felt the cold flush of regret run through his face, but was calmed instantly again with the golden laugh from the other man.

 

“I’m Joe, and you are?” 

 

“Um, I’m Rami.” He flashed a quick smile back at Joe, while he nervously scratched the back of his neck.

 

“Nice to meet you Rami, how come I haven’t seen you here before?” Rami was surprised by Joe’s question. Was he overthinking this? Why would Joe ask him something like that? Was he kind of interested in Rami? No, he probably just thinks he’s nice and wants to be friends, that would make a lot more sense (the lovely perks of being gay and falling for strangers).

 

“I’m just visiting, staying with a friend in an apartment nearby for a few weeks.” Rami noticed as Joe’s smile fell, just the slightest bit smaller. 

 

“That’s exciting, what’s the occasion?” 

 

“His birthday, in a few days. We were in acting school together a while back, and I haven’t seen him in a while, I thought I’d come up and give him a little visit.” 

 

Joe perked up a bit, giggling a bit at Rami.

 

“What’s so funny?” He asked, grinning at the other man.

 

“Acting school. That’s just, so cute.” Joe blushed a bit, smiling wider and holding back more laughs.

 

“Hey!” Rami teased, nudging Joe’s arm a bit, “It was very informative, and the experience landed me in quite a few plays, I must add. I even have some offers for a few different agencies who want to take me as a client.”

 

Joe looked impressed, and raised his eyebrows at Rami’s statement.

 

“ _ Very  _ impressive. You know, I was in some TV commercials when I was a little kid, too.” 

 

“Were you?” Rami set his book back down in his laundry back, turning a bit to have a better conversation.

 

“Yup, I was in a McDonald’s ad when I was about 7 years old. It was pretty fun, actually.”

 

Rami smiled at him, running a hand through his slightly disheveled hair as he pulled his hood down, revealing his dark curls. He followed Joe’s eyes as he looked up, still admiring the cuteness of it, even if he did look like he had laid in bed all day.

 

“Wow, why’d they let me into acting school? They should have let Mr. Joe McDonald’s Advertisement have my place.” Rami grinned, biting into his lower lip and holding back a laugh at his own joke. Joe just rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.

 

“If only they recognised some real talent, huh?” he let out sarcastically.

 

The two had talked for a while longer, exchanging little small talk and funny stories, when Joe’s laundry machine beeped, and he realized that so much time had already passed.

 

After Joe had loaded his clothes back into his basket, he stood up and walked towards the door. Rami’s laundry had beeped shortly after Joe’s and he waved to Joe as he was putting his clothes away too. 

 

“I hope I see you around here again, Rami. It was nice talking to you.” Joe said, looking back at his new acquaintance. 

 

“Yeah, you too man.” Rami responded, as Joe walked out of the laundromat. 

 

Rami felt bittersweet. He really let himself fall into this stranger, but damn, it was so nice. He wished he could have asked for his number, or social media or something, but maybe that would have come across the wrong way? In all honesty, Rami kind of hoped that Joe would have picked up on his attraction towards him. Maybe he was gay too, wouldn’t that be nice?

 

Rami unloaded the last of his clothes when he pulled out a red t-shirt that he didn’t recognise as his own. Shit, it must have been the shirt that Joe had already put in the machine.

 

He tossed it in his basket and ran towards the door, hoping he’d be able to catch Joe before he rounded any corners. He swung open the door and looked to the left, then turned to the right and knocked his basket hard into Joe’s own laundry hamper.

 

“Oh, sorry Joe, I didn’t see you there,” He laughed, pushing a curl off his face and tapping a hand on his own basket, “I was just running out to give you your shirt back.” He grabbed the red t-shirt from the top of his laundry and held it in front of Joe, who flashed a small, embarrassed smile.

 

“Don’t worry about the shirt, it’s really old, actually, I was planning on donating it or throwing it out anyways.” Joe pushed Rami’s hand back, letting him place the shirt back in his basket.

 

“Why did you come back then? Forget something else, Mr. McDonalds Ad?”  Rami laughed, biting his lower lip. Joe just blushed, pulling a note out of his pocket and handing it to Rami.

 

“I actually came back to give you my number, I’m sorry if that’s weird or anything, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, or maybe I just read you wrong but—” Rami cut Joe off, a feeling of joy and warmth and relief filling his heart and lungs, like he was taking a breath of fresh air for the first time in months.

 

“Joe, if you didn’t say anything, I’m sure I would have lost my mind wondering about the chance I just missed.” Joe finally exhaled, laughing quietly at the confirmation Rami gave him, that their feelings were mutual. It made Rami’s heart do flips, seeing Joe all flustered and nervous trying to give him his number, he was too adorable for such an incredibly attractive man. Could he not just pick one? It was killing Rami enough.

 

“It would be really nice to see you again, outside of the laundromat, I mean.” Joe looked away as Rami took the little slip of paper from his hand, so flustered he could barely keep eye contact with the other at this point. God, that drove Rami insane, he was acting like a teenager having his first crush!

 

“I’d really like that,” he said, putting the number into his pocket, “I guess I’ll give you a call later then?” 

 

Joe looked back at Rami again, smiling like a little kid who just won a sports game.

 

“That sounds great.”

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: Okay so I did the unspeakable and uploaded this the second after I wrote it, no editing, I didn't even read it over once. I just read it now and it has so many errors, but I'm in exam season and I really need to study so I promise I will edit it by the end of the week.
> 
> Instagram is @lovelydeaky and tumblr is @lesbiandeaky , please let me know if there's anything you'd like me to write for you or if you just want to chat!


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